Chapter 2: Metal Riffs

Intermediate metal riffs: take your rhythm chops to the next level

In this chapter, you'll learn 7 riffs that build directly on what you worked through in the fundamentals, this isn't new ground, it's putting those techniques to use.

These riffs pull from melodic metal, thrash, classic heavy metal, and death metal, so you get a real feel for how different metal subgenres actually sound and move.

Here's what you'll be working on:

• Power chord variations that create movement and tension
• Galloping rhythms that inject instant energy
• Tremolo picking for speed and aggression
• Hammer-ons and pull-offs that make riffs flow
• Riffing across strings to break out of the box

Each riff sharpens your timing and your accuracy, and gets you thinking like a songwriter, not just a player. If a couple of these take a few passes to feel natural, that's completely normal; that's exactly what they're here for.

Once you've learned them, experiment: change a note, move it to a new key or fretboard position, add a few notes, or simplify it. There are no strict rules here. This is where your creativity kicks in, and your own sound starts to take shape.

The goal isn't just to "learn riffs." It's to develop your own rhythm style as a metal guitarist.

Take the next step inside the Academy

If you're ready to go deeper into writing, arranging, and mastering metal rhythm guitar, my Metal Riff Master course inside the Jason Stallworth Guitar Academy picks up exactly where this chapter leaves off.

Inside the Academy, you'll get:

• Metal Riff Master and all my other rhythm and lead guitar courses
• Monthly riffs, solos, tabs, and backing tracks
• Clear practice paths so you always know what to work on next

💬 “I tried another course that was all campfire chords — not my thing. Jason’s lessons had me playing real metal riffs within weeks. 100% best decision I’ve made.”
— Dustan K.